If you are reading this article you are probably considering going into the studio to make a recording. You've undoubtedly thought about the expense involved and you're counting your pennies to see what you can afford. You know you'll have to pay for studio time and tape cost or hard drive space. You know you'll have to pay an engineer, musicians, and background singers. You ask yourself if there are any ways to cut corners and save money. You say to yourself, I know how I want my music to sound. Do I really need a producer?In order to honestly answer that question, ask yourself some other questions. Is this recording just for fun? Is the purpose of this recording to demonstrate my songwriting ability? Are the only people who will ever hear this project made up of my family and a few fans I might reach from the stage? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you DO NOT need a producer. You should hire the best studio, engineer, and musicians you can afford and have at it. If you answered no to the previous questions, ask yourself these questions. Is this recording important to me as an artist? Do I want this recording to take my career to the next level? Do I want this recording to be competitive with artists who are currently having success? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to HIRE A PRODUCER and work closely with them to achieve the goals that you've set for yourself.Think of a producer as a collaborator, a coach, and a confidant. Look for someone who respects your vision but who has the expertise and insight to challenge you to be your best. Anybody can punch record and say that sounds great, but the best producers, like the best athletic coaches, get the most out of the people with whom they work. Artists who try to produce themselves have a tendency to either not require enough of themselves and miss the magic or to be too hard on themselves and, again, miss the magic. The producer's main job is to require the best an artist has to give and to know when he's captured it on tape. No one can guarantee you a hit record, but by teaming up with a good producer you'll give yourself a much better chance of recording your best performance and, hopefully, making magic.​

What Is A Vocal Coach?What is a vocal coach and why do I need one? Think of it this way.Great actors do make their best movies when they’re teamed up with wonderful directors. It’s the same for singers. It’s about having an outside set of ears and eyes that you trust, beginner and pro alike. Below are 5 things a good vocal coach should help you with.

Discover your true voice

Maximize your voice’s potential

Learn to choose songs that showcase YOUR voice

Learn to deliver a song

Learn proper vocal/recording technique​

You Gotta Get Your Time In​I talk about practicing a lot. I absolutely believe in it, but there’s one aspect of being a performer that you really can’t learn in a practice room. That would be how to perform in front of a live audience. In all the time I’ve spent in a rehearsal room, I’ve never been able to create the same excitement and adrenaline you feel when you walk on stage in front of 40,000 screaming fans. Nerves and energy change everything about performance and the only place you can learn to deal with the stage is on stage. I hear older performers put it this way, “you gotta get your time in.” When I was starting out, I did everything I could to get in front of an audience. I held shows in my garage and invited the neighborhood. I threw parties in the country and played music there. I even talked my school into letting me put on a concert one time. Made a couple of bucks too. You have to be creative but there are places to perform if you want it and if you’re willing to work at it. Even singing karaoke counts as performance time in my book. It all adds up and hopefully it adds up to something great!​

Has Anyone Seen My Voice?​​I was just using it and now I can’t find it anywhere. I’ve got this gig tonight and it’s going to be a total drag trying to sing without it. Dang it! I hate when I misplace stuff, and I’m sticking with misplaced, too. It cannot be lost. I just had it! I was hitting my high notes. It was feeling great, fresh and comfortable, and now I feel like I’m reaching for every note, high and low.

Ever been there? Most every singer you know has too. The question is how do you find it again. Well first of all, relax because your voice is right where you left it just like the last time you lost your keys. And how did you find them? You retraced your steps, and there they were. No worries.

So let’s talk specifics. Every singer needs a checklist and a routine. So let’s start with a checklist. 1) Are you feeling well? 2) Are you rested? 3) Are you stressed? 4) Are you in shape? The answer to all 4 questions needs to be yes in order for your voice to be at it’s best. Anything other than an unequivocal yes to any of these questions will cause your voice to feel and perform differently than you might expect. The other thing is having a routine with your lifestyle and vocal practice. The best way to feel consistent is to be consistent. Sounds simple but saying it and doing it are very different things.

Point 1: If you’re sick, it’s tough but most of the time you can still sing. You just have to change your expectations about what your voice will and won’t do. If the illness is in your nose, the potential for hurting yourself is less than if it’s in your throat. The main thing is simply to not change your technique when you have to sing while your sick. Sing the way you always sing and if it’s not working without straining, take a break until you’re well. Point 2: If you’re tired from over work or lack of sleep, you’re body is weaker than normal. Your body is where you generate the power to drive your voice. If there’s no power, there’s no voice. Get some sleep. Point 3: If you’re stressed then you’re tense and probably mentally distracted. Your voice is always going to work better if you are relaxed. Your breathing

Morning Gig. Yikes! What do I do?

Most singers I work with feel like they sing their best later in the day or at night. Without a doubt there is something to this because of each individual’s natural body clock, but the hard fact is that as a singer you will not always be making the call about when you have to perform. Think about it. Drive time radio shows happen at 7am. Church performances happen at 8:30am and 11am. If you get invited to sing on the Today Show because you have a hit record, your sound check is at 5am and you perform at 8:45am. Yikes, I know, but that’s the reality of a real life singer. So you’re probably asking what do I do? The answer is to learn your body and your voice. Know how long it takes for your body to wake up. Know how long it takes to warm up your voice. Develop a routine that works for you every time and then practice, practice, practice. Get used to practicing in the morning even if you don’t love it. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to sing later in the day if you start the day with practice. More than anything get your body and your voice in shape and keep them in shape. If you do they’ll be there for you and you’ll be ready to rock your morning gig.